Group claims new railway ‘cheaper than A5 costs’

A GROUP campaigning for the extension of the railway network back to Tyrone has estimated that the cost would be almost £300 million cheaper than constructing the A5 dual-carriageway.

Officials from Into the West, a lobby group based in the north-west, told Mid-Ulster councillors that £850 million would be required to see trains running in the county for the first time in nearly 60 years.

Cormac Duffy and Steve Bradley presented their plans at a meeting of the Mid-Ulster Council’s development committee.

Into the West want to see the rail network extended to Dungannon, Omagh and Strabane.

They are also proposing a so-called ‘Lough Neagh loop’ and a ‘spur line’ going through Cookstown and Coalisland.

According to the group, the re-opening of the old Portadown to Derry line would also act as an impetus for an extension of the railways from Omagh to Enniskillen.

“The return of the railway would be a revolution for the west. It would connect the three largest towns of Dungannon, Omagh and Strabane and half a million people would be put on the rail network,” Mr Bradley said.

“There is a chronic underspend in the rail network here when compared to Scotland. We do require Stormont to start taking rail seriously and we need councils to speak upwards to their representatives at Stormont and demand services in their own areas.

“The £850 million required for the extension of the rail network to these areas is significantly cheaper than what is needed for roads.

“It is not acceptable that Tyrone, one of the largest counties in Ireland, does not have a rail network.”

“The former track beds (the areas of land which carried the railways until closure in 1965) also need to be protected.”

Into the West said there was the potential for compulstory purchase orders to ensure that the former track could be restored for use as a railway again.

Sinn Féin councillor, John McNamee, called for Mid-Ulster council to set-up a working group of officials from there, Fermanagh and Omagh and Derry City and Strabane to investigate the proposals further.

SDLP councillor, Malachy Quinn, said the railways would bring health and environmental benefits to the area.

Independent councillor, Barry Monteith, added the issue needed to be given a ‘serious priority’.

“There is a job of work to be done in relation to this,” he added.

Responsibility for railways falls under the remit of the Department for Infrastructure.

It recently carried out a wide-ranging consultation on the issue.